


Stay Close

by Annie_Uchiha



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Hunk's Cooking, Nightmares, Shiro speaks Japanese, these are the jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-17 23:37:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16983984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annie_Uchiha/pseuds/Annie_Uchiha
Summary: The night after Lance dies on a mission and is brought back to life by Allura's alchemy, Tohru (original character) has a nightmare that he really was dead. Lance comforts her and then sillyness ensues in the kitchen the next morning.





	Stay Close

Tohru woke in the middle of the night gasping, tears streaming down her face. A choked sob left her throat and she clutched the sheets tightly in her hands, blinking wildly at the ceiling. The bed shifted next to her.  
“Hey, everything okay?” Lance asked, his voice husky with sleep.  
“N-no. I h-had a nightm-mare.” Tohru stuttered through her tears. “I-I couldn’t f-find yo-ou. It was d-dark and I w-was searching. But y-you w-were, y-you were..” Another sob ripped through her throat and she turned toward him. “Y-you were de-ad.”  
He immediately gathered her in his arms and started running his hand over her hair and rubbing her arm to try and soothe her. “Baby, I’m right here. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere. It wasn’t real.”  
“But it was real!” Tohru exclaimed, moving her head to look up at him and nearly headbutting his chin in the process. “During that last mission, you really did d-die. I f-felt it.” She tried to see his expression, but her tears were making everything too blurry.  
“Hey, shhh, shhhh. It’s okay. I’m okay. I’m here right now, aren’t I? Here, come here.” He gently grasped one of her hands and brought it to his chest, just over his heart. “Do you feel that?”  
She did. The steady beat of his heart pulsed against her palm, and it calmed her slightly.  
She nodded.  
“See? I’m still here. I’m right here with you.”  
Tohru nuzzled into his chest and hiccoughed. “I was so scared.”  
He held her tighter. “I know.”  
“I love you so much.”  
“I love you too.”

 

An hour or so later Lance woke again only to find that Tohru had attached herself to him much like a koala bear to a tree branch. Her arms were looped around his neck and her legs at his waist. He wasn’t sure how she had managed that particular feat, or rather, how he hadn’t woken up before now as it wasn’t a very comfortable position.  
“Tohru.” He whispered.  
The only response he received was a tightening of her arms around his neck.  
Still asleep then. He supposed. He lay on the bed thinking maybe he would try to go back to sleep, but his stomach grumbled hungrily.  
He looked at his girlfriend, who seemed to be sleeping better now that she had attached herself to him and wondered if he should wake her up. In the end he decided against it. She hadn’t been sleeping very well since the last mission, she deserved some good shuteye.  
Lance had resigned himself to laying in bed until she woke, but suddenly an idea popped into his head. He looked down at her. She’s hanging onto to me pretty tightly, I bet I could just pick her up and take her to the dining room with me. That way she could still sleep and I could eat. He nodded and started to get off the bed.  
As he started to stand, he noticed Tohru adjusting to the new position and squeezed her arms and legs more in an effort to stay connected. I barely even have to carry her. He chuckled inwardly.  
He made his way out of the room and towards the kitchen, one hand on Tohru’s thigh and the other on her back to help keep her balanced.  
As soon as he walked into the kitchen, Pidge, Hunk, and Shiro all turned to look at him.  
Pidge’s eyebrows shot into her hairline. “Do I even want to know?” She asked.  
Lance shushed her. “She’s still asleep and I was hungry.”  
“And she’s attached to you like that because…?”  
“She had a nightmare.”  
“Oh.” Pidge looked down at her food, feeling slightly guilty for judging.  
“Hey Hunk? Any chance you could help a brother out here?” Lance asked, gesturing at you meaning his hands were full.  
“Sure thing.” Hunk replied, squeezing some goo into a bowl and setting on the table.  
“Thanks.”  
“Not a problem.” Hunk said, turning back to whatever recipe he was tinkering with.  
Lance sat down slowly, having to maneuver Tohru’s legs so that they weren’t squished against the back of the chair. When he was finally settled, he began eating his breakfast. He kept one arm wrapped around Tohru’s back while the other used the spoon. It worked surprisingly well.  
“What was the nightmare about?” Pidge asked, curiosity winning out.  
Lance paused for a moment and his face grew somber. “I was dead.” He said quietly.  
Everyone was silent, and Lance absentmindedly rubbed Tohru’s back before resuming his breakfast.  
A little while later, Lance had finished his breakfast and everyone was chatting quietly about random things, when Lance gently nudged Tohru.  
“Hey. It’s time to wake up.”  
Tohru groaned into his shoulder but didn’t move.  
“Babe, you should get up. Hunk made some food for you, plus I have to go to the bathroom.”  
Tohru’s arms tightened around his neck and she shook her head slowly once.  
Lance sighed. “Guys?” Lance looked at each of the others in turn.  
“Don’t look at me.” Pidge said, folding her arms.  
Hunk was still busy with his recipe, he shook his head.  
“I’ll take her.” Shiro said, sliding his chair back slightly.  
“Thanks, Shiro. Baby, I’m passing you to Shiro, okay? I have to run to the bathroom, I’ll be right back.”  
Tohru whined slightly as Lance grabbed her ankles. Then Shiro grabbed her waist and they carefully pried her off of Lance and onto Shiro’s lap. As soon as the transfer was made, Tohru wrapped her arms around Shiro’s neck and buried her head in his shoulder. Shiro’s eyes widened slightly, but Lance just chuckled.  
“I’ll be right back.” He announced and walked out of the room.  
He hadn’t been gone for more than a few seconds when Tohru stirred.  
“Shiro.” She murmured.  
“Yeah?”  
“ランスはどこですか？” She slurred. (Where’s Lance?)  
“Is she speaking to you in Japanese?” Pidge asked.  
He nodded. “トイレに。” (In the bathroom)  
“そですか。。。いつもどるでしょうか？“ (I see...when will he come back?)  
“すうぶん。” (a few minutes)  
“そですか。。。キースはどこですか？“ (I see... Where’s Keith?)  
“トレイニング. おそらく.” (training. Probably.)  
“そですか。。。つかれた。” (I see…I’m tired.)  
“しっている。” (I know.)  
“I’m back.” Lance said as he re-entered the room.  
Tohru detached herself and sat up bleary-eyed, watching Lance walk towards her. When he got close enough she reached her arms up and latched them around his neck again, and then reattached her legs around his waist, nearly causing him to fall over.  
“Did you know that Tohru spoke Japanese?” Shiro asked, as Lance regained his balance and sat back down in his chair.  
“Yeah, she said her Grandma used to speak it all the time. Why?”  
“Well we didn’t know, and they just had a full-on conversation while you were gone.” Pidge explained.  
“Wait. You speak Japanese?” Lance looked at Shiro in surprise.  
Shiro laughed quietly. “My parents are Japanese.”  
“Huh.”  
“Is Tohru hungry? I’ve got her breakfast here and I don’t want it to get cold.” Hunk said from the island.  
“Babe, you hungry?”  
Tohru hummed in agreement.  
Hunk placed the plate of small rice cracker looking things he’d been working on in front of Lance and retreated to the sink.  
Lance sighed. “You’re going to have to let go if you want to eat, Tohru.”  
She didn’t move.  
Lance sighed again. “Fine.” He took one of the crackers in his hand and held it over his shoulder near her head.  
Tohru shifted just enough to allow her to take the cracker into her mouth and chew before burrowing back into his shoulder.  
Pidge snorted.  
Lance shot her a look before grabbing another rice cracker and holding it for Tohru to take.  
“I think it’s cute.” Hunk said.  
“I think it’s weird.” Pidge stated.  
“She’s been through a lot. It’s understandable that she needs more contact after Lance’s-”  
Tohru stiffened and Lance shot Shiro a warning glance.  
“-situation. I know what it’s like to lose someone you love. I imagine she’s trying to remind herself in any way that she can that he’s okay. That he’s real.”  
Lance felt something wet on his neck and he realized Tohru was crying. He stroked her hair as her silent tears fell, dampening his shirt.  
Tohru sniffled, then pulled back from Lance’s neck to look him in the eyes.  
She looked miserable. Her eyes were swollen and her face was red and splotchy from the crying.  
Lance gave her a small smile. “Good morning, beautiful.”  
She sniffled slightly again and leaned her forehead against his, closing her eyes and hummed in response.  
“Morning, Tohru.” Hunk called.  
Tohru lifted her head and nodded towards him in greeting.  
“Morning.” Pidge seconded.  
Tohru hummed.  
“おはあよ, Tohru.” Shiro smiled. (good morning)  
Tohru’s eyebrows lifted slightly at the language and she looked at Shiro before giving a small smile in return. “おはあよ, Shiro.” (good morning)  
Tohru leaned back against the table and reached beside her for the plate of crackers. She slowly ate them while looking at Lance, who was staring back at her with a smile on his face.  
“What?” Tohru finally asked.  
“You’re so adorable in the morning.”  
Tohru looked at him skeptically.  
Lance just shrugged. “It’s true.”  
Tohru ate another cracker.  
“You know, Tohru, there’s a perfectly good chair right next to you that you could use so you don’t have to hold your plate. And you know, not face the wall.” Pidge said, pushing her finished plate away from her.  
“Why would I want to move? I’ve got the best seat in the house.” Tohru said, matter-of-factly.  
Lance turned bright red as Hunk sputtered and laughed loudly.  
Shiro smirked at the confused look on Tohru’s face and Pidge looked like she wanted to be sick.  
“Sorry I asked.”  
“What?” Tohru asked, turning to look at Hunk clutching his stomach as he tried to catch his breath, and then at Shiro who was still smirking at her, but looked like he was trying to hide it. Click. “Oh.”  
Tohru paled and then lit up like a Christmas tree, resuming her previous position of hiding her face in Lance’s neck.  
Shiro chuckled and Lance patted Tohru’s back.  
“Best seat, huh?” Lance teased once he regained his composure. Tohru leaned back and swatted his head. He laughed.  
“Sometimes words just come out when I’m tired, okay?”  
“I told you. Adorable.” Lance pecked her on the cheek and put her empty plate back on the table before taking her hand in his and resting them on her thigh.  
“Yeah yeah.” But she smiled.


End file.
